Maryland Vs Buie Case Study

In the Maryland v. Buie trial, it was decided by the Supreme Court that a protective sweep of the area following an arrest is justified (Hall, 2015). In this case, Buie and an accomplice had committed an armed robbery wearing red running suits (FindLaw, n.d.). A warrant was obtained, then executed at the residence of Buie where he was subsequently found hiding in the basement. The officers on scene searched the basement following the arrest of Buie where they found in plain view the red running suit. Buie attempted to have the evidence suppressed, citing that his Fourth Amendment rights had been violated by the officers conducting the search. The trial court dismissed the claim made by Buie, finding that the officers acted within reasonable measures to protect themselves from an attack. …show more content…
The determination held that officers have the right to search areas where another individual may be hiding that could launch an unexpected attack in the area of arrest, including closets and piles of clothing (FindLaw, n.d.). Officers conducting an arrest within a suspect’s home are at a disadvantage as compared to an arrest conducted in an open environment. The confined area of a residence creates a substantial risk to officer safety due to the unknown configuration as well as numerous areas another individual could be hiding in wait to attack officers. The Supreme Court found that a search of the immediate area is reasonable to ensure the safety of the arresting officers. This decision was correct in my opinion, without this determination the safety of officers would be greatly